It has been a while since I last posted. One of the major reasons is the tragic passing of Misty on March 18, 2017.   Throughout her whole life, Misty was an escape artist who loved to get out of the house and run wild.  I feared this deviant tendency might catch up with her.  Since the pain is still close to the surface, I won’t go into all of the details.  It was super hard to lose her, especially in the prime of her life.  She was the best bird dog I ever had, a bona fide grouse dog.

And this was on top of having to put down my French Brittany, Sunny Girl, last October.  So I am without a bird dog for the first time in seventeen years.  Our bird dogs become such a significant part of our lives that when they are gone, there is a huge hole in our hearts.

As you may already know, I am a religious person.  From the beginning of this blog, I have never hid my faith.  I’ve written before that I believe all animals, including bird dogs, have souls, though this is apparently not something that every Christian believes.  Shortly after Misty’s death, I found the following comforting passage of scripture in the book of Job:

Job 12:7-10

7 But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

8 Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

9 Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this?

10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

There you have it, biblical proof of what I have believed all along: Animals have souls.  They are not just simply gone forever when they pass.  Their spirits live on.

Around the first of April, I was considering whether to get another bird dog and was having some doubts.  The morning of Monday, April 3rd, I told my wife and daughter Emma my reservations.  Emma then told me of a dream she had the night before of Sunny Girl, my favorite companion bird dog who passed last October.  I wanted to share this in her own words:

I had a dream that I was traveling down a long white road. I remember wishing that I had a companion to join me on my journey. I remember then seeing Sunny, my beloved childhood dog, come running towards me. She was happy and healthy, and she seemed to be smiling at me. I couldn’t help but break into a grin as I knelt down to her level. I asked her if she was the companion I had wished for. In response, Sunny ran ahead of me, looking back to see if I was following. I beamed wide as I watched her spin in little circles eagerly as she waited for me to catch up, something she would do in moments of excitement. I happily ran after her before the dream faded.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I heard her recount this dream.  I took it not only as a sign that my bird dogs live on, but also that I need to get another one.  They make our lives so much fuller and richer.  I can’t imagine life without such a faithful friend.

I am happy to report that I decided to get another French Brittany, like Sunny Girl, and the litter was born April 13th.  My family and I are getting excited to see which little bundle of joy we get to take home.